Nigeria’s Super Falcons opened their Women Africa Cup of Nations defence yesterday on a ruthless note, hammering their Malian counterparts 6-0.
2014 African Woman Player of the Year and Most Valuable
Player of the last edition of the championship in Namibia, Asisat Oshoala was
the star of the Super Falcons. She scored four of the six goals to put Nigeria
in perfect control of Group B of the 10th edition of the women AFCON.
USA-based Francisca Ordega started the rout with a smart
finish from Ugo Njoku’s run down the Malian defence in the 22nd minute. Before
that, Oshoala’s darting run and pass in the 15th minute was fluffed by Uchechi
Sunday, who wasted a number of opportunities on the day.
Four minutes after Ordega’s goal, midfielder Halimatu Ayinde
came close after a good move but her chip rocked the upright with the Malian
goalie beaten. Five minutes before recess, Oshoala read brilliantly a through
pass and beat the goalie before slotting into an empty net for her first and
Nigeria’s second.
A minute into the second half, Sunday again missed with only
the goalie to beat from Faith Ikidi pass, but she made it three from the
penalty spot a minute later after Osarenoma Igbinovia was brought down in the
box.
Thereafter, it became an ‘Oshoala Show’. The introduction of
a clever Chioma Wogu for fumbling Sunday worked well for her. In the 62nd
minute, Oshoala latched onto a header by Wogu to outrun a defender and the
goalkeeper before smashing into the roof of the net, and six minutes later,
benefitted from another Wogu pass to meander past two defenders and slot past
the goalkeeper.
Her fourth, and Nigeria’s sixth, came from another brilliant
pass, from captain Rita Chikwelu, with 12 minutes left.
The Falcons will certainly meet stronger opposition from
Ghana’s Black Queens, whom they play in their next match on Wednesday.
However, it was not a
good day for Nigeria’s ladies campaigning in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in
Papua New Guinea as the Falconets crashed out of the competition despite
defeating Spain 2-1.
Falconets flexed their muscles and fought hard before a
capacity crowd at the Papua New Guinea Stadium to earn the victory. The match
was played under heavy wind conditions that did not help either of the teams as
they struggled in the circumstances.
The joy of victory was short-lived for the Falconets as
Japan’s routing of Canada in the other Group B match meant Japan and Spain
advanced and Nigeria would go home. The Nigerian delegation will return home on
Wednesday, November 23.
Despite the end of the road for the Under-20 ladies, Head
Coach of the team, Peter Dedevbo, yesterday evening showered encomiums on the
Falconets for winning two out of three matches they played.
For Dedevbo, his girls deserve all the accolades because
they proved themselves worthy ambassadors of Africa’s most populous nation.
The 2014 World Cup silver medal-winning Coach noted that the
girls gave their best in flying Nigeria and Africa’s flag but it was
unfortunate that they were so cruelly eliminated, despite finishing with the
same six points as the two other teams (Japan and Spain) that advanced to the
last eight.
“Sincerely speaking, you all are stars and I am proud of
you. Despite the circumstances, you were not disgraced. We had lofty dreams of
making it to the final or even going one better than we took our country in
Canada four years ago, but it was not to be. Collectively and individually, we
worked towards achieving that goal, but our best could not take us that far,”
Dedevbo said.
Stand-in captain and scorer of the winning goal, Chiwendu
Ihezuo, wept profusely after Nigeria’s early exit.
Ihezuo, who won the FIFA Live Your Goals Player of the Match
award in the win over Spain, couldn’t control her emotions as she broke down at
the post match press conference.
The BIIK Zazygurt of Kazakhstan player, with two goals from
three games, lamented her inability to actualise her dreams of contesting for
the tournament’s golden boot. She was instrumental to Falconets’ presence in
Papua New Guinea, scoring seven goals out of the 13 Nigeria recorded during the
qualifying series.
“I had high hopes for this tournament. I even set a target
of six goals for myself, but my dreams have been blown away like dust in the
winds. I admit that our predicament today was as a result of the six goals we
conceded against Japan. I kept hoping for a turn-around that would see us
progress in the competition.
“I pushed extra hard. The consolation for my much –desired
Golden Boot is this award and I am grateful to God for it,” Ihezuo sobbed.
Source: This Day!
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